His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC

His Excellency was born in Central Vietnam in 1954, where he attended school before studying Economics and Business Management at the Dalat University in the Highlands.

His Excellency, and his wife, Lan, arrived in Australia in 1977 and settled in Adelaide, starting with three months at the Pennington Migrant Hostel.

In Australia, the Governor studied at the University of Adelaide, where he earned a degree in Economics and Accounting. In 2001, His Excellency’s further study earned him a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the same university.

His Excellency gained Certified Practising Accountant accreditation, and from 1991 worked at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, where he led many high-profile matters. Upon his retirement from the Commission in March 2009, he held the position of Senior Manager – Financial Services Regulation.

His Excellency has served on many community boards and committees, in particular those relating to cultural and linguistic diversity, the arts and education.

In 1995 His Excellency was appointed a member to the SA Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, and was appointed Deputy Chairman in 2001. When His Excellency became Chairman in 2007, he was first person of Asian background to lead the Commission.

In August 2007, His Excellency was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia. Over the next seven years in this role, His Excellency served as the Patron or Honorary member of many organisations.

On 1 September 2014, His Excellency was sworn in as Governor of South Australia.

It is understood that His Excellency is the first Vietnamese-born person who has ever been appointed to a Vice-Regal position in the world.

His Excellency was awarded the Australia Day Medal in 1996 for outstanding service to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and has been awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the advancement of multiculturalism.

His Excellency was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) in 2010 and a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2016, for service to the community of South Australia. He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from both Adelaide University and Flinders University.

His Excellency is married to Mrs Lan Le, with whom he has two adult sons, Don and Kim.